No. 1 vs. No. 2: A Battle for State, National Supremacy

50-2.

This gaudy record, that the Memphis Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball teams combine to hold up to this point in the college basketball season, won’t last for long.

Saturday night at 9:00pm ET on ESPN, these powerhouses will square off against each other.

This time, it’s not just about state bragging rights; it’s about national bragging rights.

This is the first time since 1998 that the nation’s top two teams from the state will play each other.

The no. 2 ranked Tennessee Volunteers (24-2, 11-1 SEC) will travel to the FedEx Forum in Memphis bringing an 8-game win streak with them. Led by the guard tandem of Chris Lofton (15.5 ppg) and JaJuan Smith (14.4 ppg), the Vols will look to put away the Tigers early with their sharp shooting and penetration. Tyler Smith at 6’7” and Wayne Chism at 6’9” head up the undersized front court for Tennessee.

The no. 1 ranked and undefeated Memphis Tigers (26-0, 12-0 C-USA) come into this contest riding a 45-game home win streak. They are led in the backcourt by junior Chris Douglas-Roberts (17.5 ppg) and freshman sensation Derrick Rose (13.6 ppg). With the speed and height of the Tigers’ guards, they will look to outrun the Vols and beat them from the three-point line whenever possible. Memphis’ front line is anchored by rebounding beasts Joey Dorsey and Robert Dozier, who combine to bring down more than 18 boards a game.     

Memphis’ running, “Princeton on steroids” style offense will take on Tennessee’s staunch defense in a battle for the ages. They both score over 80 points per game on average, so look for this one to be a high scoring affair.

If Memphis wants to come out victorious in this one, they will have to knock down their 3-point attempts and play very tough on the defensive end. They must also hit their free throws, which they haven’t been able to do all year. At 58.3%, they are ranked 341^st out of 341 teams in NCAA Division I basketball.

In order for Tennessee to win, they will need to knock down their 3-pointers too and limit the Tigers in the rebounding category. They will likely look to their star player, Chris Lofton, early and often. If he gets hot from beyond the arc it could be an early evening for the Tigers.

Despite the struggles from the charity stripe for the Tigers, look for them to win this contest. Memphis will be “runnin’ and gunnin’” and their big men will be banging on the inside, and this will be too much for the Vols to handle. The fact that it’s a home for the Tigers helps as well. 

My prediction: Memphis 86, Tennessee 78.    

So there you have it. The stage is set. The tickets are going for as much as $10,000 a pop. Former Super Bowl MVP, Peyton Manning is even scheduled to be in attendance. Having the the ESPN Gameday crew in town is just the icing on the cake.

This is the biggest regular season men’s basketball game in these school’s histories. It’s also the biggest regular season game that the state of Tennessee, maybe even the country, has ever seen.

Let’s just hope that it will live up to its billing.